Brian Kerr appointed Faroe Islands manager

**Uncle_Joe** · 06/04/2009, 4:29 PM

Good Luck to Kerr,
Ive always believed that he was unfortunate not to do better with us than he did. I was happy with everything he did but in the end the players just were not playing for him. Says more about the players than him IMO.

**Razors left peg** · 06/04/2009, 4:31 PM

Originally Posted by Uncle_Joe

Good Luck to Kerr,
Ive always believed that he was unfortunate not to do better with us than he did. I was happy with everything he did but in the end the players just were not playing for him. Says more about the players than him IMO.

A managers job is to get the players to play for him.... he failed badly

**back of the net** · 06/04/2009, 4:31 PM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

McCarthy inherited a team in far more of a transition then Kerr did, Kerr inherited a team that had just got to the 2nd round of the World Cup and been unfortunate to get knocked out of penalties. Add to that the fact that under McCarthy we never finished outside the top 2 in his 2 campaigns (and were incredibly unlucky not to top the '00 group) whereas Kerr came 3rd and 4th. That comparison that was trotted out about the amount of campaigns McCarthy was given never held water, we were going forward each campaign under him, under Kerr we went backwards (3rd then 4th).

and i 100% agree with that as well

**Stuttgart88** · 06/04/2009, 4:43 PM

I always like to see Irish guys succeed in football. Good luck.

He didn't work out as manager, partly through bad luck but mainly beacuse he didn't keep the dressing room and results when they counted were poor. By the end of his last campaign it was obvious he'd run his course.

For those slating Trap for leaving out Andy Reid and others, people have to remember that Kerr regularly left out Steven Reid and Richard Dunne. His work ethic during his tenure was fantastic though and it's a shame given how much he did for the FAI over the years that his relationship with them led to no possibility of a lesser role than national team manager. As suggested above, I'd bite your hand off if you offered him as the U21 manager.

**Stuttgart88** · 06/04/2009, 4:43 PM

Originally Posted by back of the net

and i 100% agree with that as well

Me too.

**Razors left peg** · 06/04/2009, 5:50 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I always like to see Irish guys succeed in football. Good luck.

He didn't work out as manager, partly through bad luck but mainly beacuse he didn't keep the dressing room and results when they counted were poor. By the end of his last campaign it was obvious he'd run his course.

For those slating Trap for leaving out Andy Reid and others, people have to remember that Kerr regularly left out Steven Reid and Richard Dunne. His work ethic during his tenure was fantastic though and it's a shame given how much he did for the FAI over the years that his relationship with them led to no possibility of a lesser role than national team manager. As suggested above, I'd bite your hand off if you offered him as the U21 manager.

That was something I really did admire him for. I remember watching a Man Utd reserves game on MUTV one night and Kerr was there,Paddy Crerand commented that he was regularly seen up and down the country checking out his players on any night of the week in any weather. There was no player he wasnt aware of from the ages of 15 upwards Id say.
I do think it was a shame that he became so bitter after his sacking as manager because he was definately an asset to football in this country but because of his bitterness could never work with the FAI again in any capacity.I fully believe the top job was step too far for him and I regard his tenure are a failure but I wish him well in the Faroes job and hope it leads to something bigger for him.

**eirebhoy** · 06/04/2009, 6:38 PM

I don't know what standards people are judging Kerr by if they're calling him a bad manager. Let's put it this way. The way we played in the 2006 campaign is how I'd expect a Sven Goran Erikson team to play. £4m Sven vs £50k Kerr.

If anything the Faroes are probably getting the biggest bargain in world football.

**geysir** · 06/04/2009, 6:53 PM

I'd agree about the bargain bit, especially if he manages to get them a good discount on blank dvds in bulk.
I hope that puts an end to his whiny IT column, then I wont be forced to read it anymore.
He cuts an altogether different personality when he is positive and forgets about his chips for 10 minutes..

**NeilMcD** · 06/04/2009, 6:59 PM

Who is forcing you to read it.

**amaccann** · 06/04/2009, 7:01 PM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

McCarthy inherited a team in far more of a transition then Kerr did, Kerr inherited a team that had just got to the 2nd round of the World Cup and been unfortunate to get knocked out of penalties. Add to that the fact that under McCarthy we never finished outside the top 2 in his 2 campaigns (and were incredibly unlucky not to top the '00 group) whereas Kerr came 3rd and 4th. That comparison that was trotted out about the amount of campaigns McCarthy was given never held water, we were going forward each campaign under him, under Kerr we went backwards (3rd then 4th).

Fair point, though from what I remember, Kerr found himself knee deep in what was then the still-hot Saipan issue. So just on that alone it made the team "transitional", post-Keane if you will.

I think what Kerr asked of his players is not 100% away from what Trap is currently doing now & while Trap's getting away with murder and no small amount of luck, Kerr's campaign basically fell over because of not one, but two comebacks by Israel.

Looking at that 2006 Group 4 table right now, were those Israeli draws the wins they should have been (in part thanks to our late goal concession hoodoo), we would have topped the table

I'm not trying to totally defend Kerr here - like I said his team played boring football - but he didn't deserve to be as pilloried as he is.

**MickeyEvans** · 06/04/2009, 8:14 PM

@ BohSoGood...

No, that's not why he was not liked. Not everything relating to Irish soccer has that agenda.

He wasn't liked because he was even more conservative than Trapattoni but - crucially - couldn't formulate a defence as good. We gave away a lot of sloppy, late goals and, other than 10 mins away to Switzerland in 2004 and half an hour against Israel at Lansdowne Road in 2005, we always played horrendously dour stuff under him.

He also had a very suspicious manner about him and was surly with the media.

**tricky_colour** · 06/04/2009, 8:45 PM

They have dropped in the rankings from 100 to nearly 200 so they can hardly get any worse so the only way is up (or down

)

**Denis The Red** · 06/04/2009, 8:59 PM

I didn't think Brian was the right man for the Irish job at the time, I thought it was too big a job but I still got behind him as I did with Stan but results are what matters, and when Mick never failed to get us to at least a play-off in each of the qualifying tournaments he managed in, the other two couldn't achieve that much. He had to go.
I feel he could've offered more to Irish football as he had done before the senior job, maybe the U21s, but because of his falling out with the FAI he'll never work here again in any capacity for them.
He has a great understanding of the game and I think the Faroes have done well with his appointment.
I think one of the reasons he couldn't get the players to play for him was he was never a pro in England and now he was telling guys with massive wallets and even bigger egos how to play international standard football.
Best of luck to him in his new job.

**eirebhoy** · 06/04/2009, 9:03 PM

I feel very strongly about us playing a good passing game (quick short passing, intelligent movement) and I certainly didn't think we played dour stuff under Kerr. I thought he made us look a good standard team and one which other teams respected. Israel and France certainly respected us. I think Benayoun said we were the strongest team in the group.

A lot of our friendly wins against were very competitive matches with both teams really going for it (Holland, Portugal, Croatia, Czechs). Those were games with nothing to lose though. The difference with Trap and Kerr is that Trap is happy for his players to sit back. That's the instructions. Kerr just couldn't get the players to lose the fear which instinctively made them sit back. The last thing Kerr wants is a player lumping the ball up the field.

As for the defence. Were 2 Israel's goals from outside the box, their peno, Henry's cracker or Yakin's goal in Switzerland down to a bad defensive system? Our defence with Cunningham and O'Brien was brilliant for the most part.

**Fergie's Son** · 06/04/2009, 9:04 PM

A very strange choice to be sure. Not sure what it means for Brian or his future prospects.

I was elated when he was appointed. He managed to bring Keane back for one last hurah. However, he seemed to freeze in the brighter stage of the national manager. He had a tremendous amount of good will with the press which he lost as he became increasingly more paranoid.

For me, a single example which serves as a microcosm for his time with Ireland, was the home match against Israel in the last WC qualifiers. We were leading 2-0 and had just had a third goal disallowed. We were, quite frankly, all over Israel. Robbie Keane pulls up injured after 27 minutes of the first half. Kerr had a relatively in-form David Connolly on the bench yet he decided to put on Graham Kavanagh instead. Now I'm a fan of Graham Kavanagh but he was the wrong player to put on in that situation. He basically ceeded the momentum back to Israel by putting on a a defensive midfielder. It was the wrong move from a practical footballing perspective and from an "attidue" perspective.

That summed up his tenure as the Irish manager. Good luck to him and I really do hope he does great things (so long as it's never against us).

**Flea** · 06/04/2009, 9:08 PM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

McCarthy inherited a team in far more of a transition then Kerr did, Kerr inherited a team that had just got to the 2nd round of the World Cup and been unfortunate to get knocked out of penalties. Add to that the fact that under McCarthy we never finished outside the top 2 in his 2 campaigns (and were incredibly unlucky not to top the '00 group) whereas Kerr came 3rd and 4th. That comparison that was trotted out about the amount of campaigns McCarthy was given never held water, we were going forward each campaign under him, under Kerr we went backwards (3rd then 4th).

Completely agree with this. McCarthy's starting position cannot be compared to Kerr's. Kerr is the only former Irish manager to be left with a chip on his shoulder about his former position. Even Stan had the sense to lie low. Kerr's articles in the Irish Times are laden with negativity. The Faroe Islands is such a terrible managerial role to take over, but maybe he can finally move on and not live in the past.

**Armando** · 06/04/2009, 9:31 PM

While Faroe Islands are obviously minnows of World football they are not quite as pathetic as the likes of San Marino and Luxembourg. Just wanted to say that because reading some posts I get the impression this is how a lot of people view them. In fact, although they lose the large majority of their games they are very rarely thumped

Fair play to Kerr for taking this challenge on, I think he'll have a progressive influence on them. If he can bring them up a seeding he'll have done a great job and it'll open the doors to better jobs. Scandinavian clubs/countries would sit up and take notice for instance if he does well.

**irishultra** · 06/04/2009, 9:50 PM

Originally Posted by Armando

While Faroe Islands are obviously minnows of World football they are not quite as pathetic as the likes of San Marino and Luxembourg. Just wanted to say that because reading some posts I get the impression this is how a lot of people view them. In fact, although they lose the large majority of their games they are very rarely thumped

Fair play to Kerr for taking this challenge on, I think he'll have a progressive influence on them. If he can bring them up a seeding he'll have done a great job and it'll open the doors to better jobs. Scandinavian clubs/countries would sit up and take notice for instance if he does well.

yep, only beaten 2-1 by italy, last minute goal conceded cost them against lithuania at home and 2-1 defeat away

some thumpings but kerr might be able to do something

they are awful but as u say not that bad

**macdermesser** · 07/04/2009, 7:54 AM

Also wish Brian all the best and hope that it is a stepping stone to a bigger job .. and maybe eventually back to the Irish job again ;-)

200k a year according to the Irish Times for doing something you love and mixing it with France and Serbia again. It's a bit of a no brainer. Have to laugh at the keyboard brigade questioning whether it is a good move for him.